Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 7 December 2012 — A. Loacker v OHIM — Editrice Quadratum (QUADRATUM)

(Case T‑42/09)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community word mark QUADRATUM — Earlier Community word mark LOACKER QUADRATINI — Relative ground for refusal — No likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009) — Article 73 of Regulation No 40/94 (now Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009) — Article 74 of Regulation No 40/94 (now Article 76 of Regulation No 207/2009)

1.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Criteria (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 16-18)

2.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Word marks QUADRATUM and LOACKER QUADRATINI (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 20, 21, 51, 52)

3.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 22)

4.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — Article 73, first sentence, of Regulation No 40/94 — Scope the same as that of Article 253 EC (Art. 253 EC; Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 73) (see para. 60)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 23 October 2008 (Case R 34/2008‑1), concerning opposition proceedings between A. Loacker SpA and Editrice Quadratum SpA.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the application;

2. Orders A. Loacker SpA to pay the costs.